Feature24 March 2007
A Brief History Of British MMA
It's not just the UFC, you know - the UK is a hotbed of MMA action!
From working men's clubs to the Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena, mixed martial arts in the UK has grown faster than anyone could have dared dream. David West takes a look at the development of British MMA
The roots of mixed martial arts can be found in the Vale Tudo fights of Brazil and the mixed-style contests of Japanese promotions Shooto, Rings and Pancrase, which sprang from the desire of pro wrestlers to test their grappling skills against other disciplines in the days before the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, unlike the development of MMA in the United States - where there was a lengthy (and occasionally painful) progression from outlaw, bare-knuckle spectacle to sanctioned sport - British MMA benefited from the Japanese example and immediately set about identifying itself as a sport, rather than some gory gladiatorial throwback.
Much of the credit for the arrival of MMA in Britain belongs to Lee Hasdell, a Thai boxer who discovered the sport while competing at a K-1 event in Japan. I was at K-1 and they had some special matches on the undercard, remembers Hasdell. They had an ultimate fight and they had a shoot fight, which was a mixture of pro-wrestling and submissions. Impressed by what he saw, Hasdell started cross training in different styles upon his return to the UK and, when he was offered a chance to join the Rings organisation (one of earliest promotions to combine grappling and striking), Hasdell jumped at the chance.
The rules of Rings might befuddle modern observers, with only open-handed striking to the head, the use of rope escapes to foil submissions and just one 30-minute round, but it was a pioneering organisation in MMA history, with the group's first event being held in 1992 - a full year before the first UFC. Hasdell fought some of the best fighters in the world under the Rings banner, including Renato Babalu Sobral and Fedor Emelianenko, and spent six years fighting in Japan. While back in the UK, he decided to add a handful of mixed-style matches to a kickboxing event he was promoting under the title Total Fight Night in 1997...
For the rest of this feature, check out issue two of FIGHTING SPIRIT - available at WH Smith, Borders, HMV and at all good retailers from May 25. (US readers check local retailers for availability or click here to subscribe.)
From working men's clubs to the Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena, mixed martial arts in the UK has grown faster than anyone could have dared dream. David West takes a look at the development of British MMA
The roots of mixed martial arts can be found in the Vale Tudo fights of Brazil and the mixed-style contests of Japanese promotions Shooto, Rings and Pancrase, which sprang from the desire of pro wrestlers to test their grappling skills against other disciplines in the days before the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, unlike the development of MMA in the United States - where there was a lengthy (and occasionally painful) progression from outlaw, bare-knuckle spectacle to sanctioned sport - British MMA benefited from the Japanese example and immediately set about identifying itself as a sport, rather than some gory gladiatorial throwback.
Much of the credit for the arrival of MMA in Britain belongs to Lee Hasdell, a Thai boxer who discovered the sport while competing at a K-1 event in Japan. I was at K-1 and they had some special matches on the undercard, remembers Hasdell. They had an ultimate fight and they had a shoot fight, which was a mixture of pro-wrestling and submissions. Impressed by what he saw, Hasdell started cross training in different styles upon his return to the UK and, when he was offered a chance to join the Rings organisation (one of earliest promotions to combine grappling and striking), Hasdell jumped at the chance.
The rules of Rings might befuddle modern observers, with only open-handed striking to the head, the use of rope escapes to foil submissions and just one 30-minute round, but it was a pioneering organisation in MMA history, with the group's first event being held in 1992 - a full year before the first UFC. Hasdell fought some of the best fighters in the world under the Rings banner, including Renato Babalu Sobral and Fedor Emelianenko, and spent six years fighting in Japan. While back in the UK, he decided to add a handful of mixed-style matches to a kickboxing event he was promoting under the title Total Fight Night in 1997...
For the rest of this feature, check out issue two of FIGHTING SPIRIT - available at WH Smith, Borders, HMV and at all good retailers from May 25. (US readers check local retailers for availability or click here to subscribe.)
From the Fighting Spirit Magazine archive. Byline: FS TEam.